One on One (1977)

Directed by Lamont Johnson
My rating: 2.5 stars out of 4
IMDb
(DVD, Warner Archive Collection)

Robby Benson is a small town hick from Colorado who moves to the big city of LA. Life is easy on a basketball scholarship: he's got plenty of money, a job watching sprinklers and a hot tutor. However, he can't quite cut it on the basketball court against the bigger and stronger athletes. He is ostracized and bullied by the coaching staff, trying to force him to quit by renouncing his scholarship. He gets his chance in the big game, and of course surprises everyone by winning the game on the last second shot. Manipulative and not always credible, Benson's character goes from barely being able to read to quoting Moby Dick, it's nonetheless an enjoyable piece of 70s nostalgia.